Some places you find because you drove past them. These are not those places. 😅
These three hidden Tampa Bay spots are tucked behind houses, inside office buildings and down side streets where you'd never wander by accident. You have to know they're there. And once you do, you'll be telling everyone.
1. Vườn Xoài — Tampa, near Westchase (Hillsborough)
Vườn Xoài (Vietnamese for "mango garden") is absolutely incredible. It's a roughly 6-acre Vietnamese tropical oasis tucked away near Westchase, and you are NOT stumbling onto this one by accident.
Chairs and hammocks are scattered all over the property, so you're kicking back surrounded by fruit trees and herbs. There are multiple ponds to sit around: one has a bunch of geese flying around, and another is more of a koi pond.
And the food is amazing. The menu is handwritten on a whiteboard and runs from grilled chicken with sticky rice to beef wrapped in betel leaf, snails in coconut juice, pho, papaya salad, and fresh fruit juices and sugarcane juice. Here's the board from our visit (prices can change):
Walking the grounds is free. Hours can vary, so call ahead before you make the trip: (813) 385-6607. Credit cards carry a 3% fee, according to the board.
📍 Where: 9023 Lake Sunset Dr, Tampa, FL — Hillsborough County
🎟️ Info: Vườn Xoài on Facebook
2. Campfired — East Tampa, Just Off I-4 (Hillsborough)
Campfired is hiding inside an office plaza just off I-4, right in the middle of the building's atrium. Walk in and it's a beautifully designed, wood-fired brunch spot with a flower shop (The Florista) built in.
My favorite cocktail is the one made with roasted lemonade: roasted lemons with tequila. It's spectacular. 🍋🔥
For the table, they've got the pretty candles. The Butter Candle is a slow-melting garlic-herb butter candle with croissants for dipping, and the Famous Chocolate Candle comes with fruit and a warm croissant. They're fun novelty items, but the food definitely stands up for itself. Everything is cooked without a microwave or fryer, and the croissants are baked daily.
They're open Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday through Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's cashless. Look at the full menu on their site for more.
📍 Where: 6302 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Suite 480 (Atrium), Tampa, FL 33619 — Hillsborough County
🎟️ Info: campfired.com
3. First Quality Sausage House — Safety Harbor (Pinellas)
First Quality Sausage House has been doing its thing in Safety Harbor for decades, and it's absolutely spectacular.
Aniko is the one behind the counter, using all the old-world techniques: curing meats for months and smoking everything in a smoker inside that's the size of a bedroom. Everything in the display case is made from scratch in-house, from Polish, German, Hungarian and Italian-style sausages to tons of baked goods and cooked, prepared meals to take home.
This is a true "if you know, you know" spot on a quiet stretch of 9th Avenue North, not far from the Whistle Stop on Main Street. It keeps limited hours, so call before you go: (727) 725-5705.
📍 Where: 605 9th Ave N, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 — Pinellas County
🎟️ Info: Map and directions
More Hidden Tampa Bay Spots Coming
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Already in Safety Harbor? Make a day of it at The Tides Market from our remarkable seafood spots list.
Bottom line: A tropical garden, a brunch spot in an office atrium and an old-world sausage house: none of them are on the way to anywhere, and all three are worth the trip. Which one are you hunting down first? 👇
